Abstract: As an extremely delicate and sensitive matter, it is unrealistic to expect the eventual resolution of maritime delimitation disputes in the South China Sea (SCS) in the immediate future. To manage the disputes and utilize the disputed maritime area, the claimants in this region have made continued efforts to conclude provisional arrangements. Due to the lack of consensus on the precise disputed zones and the low political will to make concessions, the existing arrangements have several drawbacks. To break the stalemate, a set of approaches are indispensable. A reasonable first step might be to develop provisional arrangements in less disputed maritime areas, especially those areas involving only two states. For areas with multiple claims or where the claimants have low political will to cooperate, it is advisable to start with developing arrangements on issues with common interests and easy to implement. For higher sensitive issues, track two connections might be employed at first, so as to pave the way for future official cooperation. Full text available here.
